The British Brexit secretary and UK Attorney General will travel to Brussels today for talks aimed at breaking the ongoing Brexit impasse.

Stephen Barkley and Geoffrey Cox will meet with Chief EU Negotiator Michel Barnier.

It comes after UK Prime Minister Theresa May held “constructive” talks with the European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker yesterday.

In a joint statement, the pair said they had instructed their teams to “continue to explore the options in a positive spirit.”

Backstop

They used the meeting to discuss what guarantees may be needed to convince to underscore the “temporary nature” of the Irish border backstop.

They both reconfirmed their commitment to avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland and respecting the integrity of the EU internal market and the UK.

They said negotiators on both sides have now been tasked with examining the role “alternative arrangements” may play in ensuring the backstop does not become a permanent measure.

The EU has consistently warned that the current withdrawal agreement – including the backstop – cannot be changed.

The leaders did not discuss reopen those negotiations; however, they did discuss potential changes to the Political Declaration that complements the deal, with a view to “delivering the future partnership envisaged as soon as possible.”

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker meets with British Prime Minister Theresa May in Brussels, 20-02-2019. Image: Xinhua/Zheng Huansong

Brexit

After the meeting, Mrs May said she underline the need for “legally binding changes to the backstop that ensure that it cannot be indefinite.”

“That is what is required if a deal is to pass the House of Commons,” she said.

“We have agreed that work to find a solution will continue at pace; Time is of the essence and it is in both our interests that when the UK leave the EU it does so in an orderly way.

“We have made progress.”

Meanwhile the British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will meet EU leaders later to discuss the deadlock.

He is in Brussels with Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer for talks with Mr Barnier.

It is expected Mr Corbyn will discuss Labour's proposals for Brexit and say there's no appetite for a no-deal in Britain's Parliament.